


And So It Begins - Water (West)

by Blackfell AU (Gylentia)



Category: Multi-Fandom, Voltage Inc - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-06
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2019-09-20 18:49:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17028081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gylentia/pseuds/Blackfell%20AU
Summary: One of the entry routes for the 3 MCs of Blackfell.





	And So It Begins - Water (West)

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously Ravenport is where the bidders are. Ship is based on the Great Eastern from 1854, the same ship that was used a little over 10 years later to lay the transatlantic telegraph cable.

Your alarm rings in at 4:30 am. You can hear the first birds of the morning, but the sun has yet to show its face for the day. You sit up in bed and peer out the window of the room you’re staying in at the inn. It was too far to make it from home in time to board the steamer set to sail for Blackfell. Fog. A dense, humid, fog obscures your views of the horizon and the docks. You sigh and stretch - the bed was certainly not the most comfortable thing you had slept on before, but far from the least. You complete your morning routine, making sure your bags are in order before you head downstairs. 

The proprietress nods towards the table. You had told her what time you had planned on leaving and she has made sure your breakfast is ready for you. After your quick meal, you settle your accounts and head for the docks. The streets have few people - mainly fishermen heading out for their morning routes, the more shallow ones as the further fairing vessels would have left before this. You can feel your nerves building. You reach into your pocket to make sure for the tenth time that your ticket and papers are in there. 

You’ve been walking for a good 20 minutes or more, but there it is, the ocean-faring steam ship sits before you at the docks, towering over everything else around it, demanding all who see it marvel upon the wonders of modern engineering. This ship, the summation of your hopes, your dreams, your fears, and your ambitions, is finally in front of you - _just a little longer and you’ll be able to touch it._ You continue your way down to the boarding area and join the line already waiting to board.

Each person has to meet with a guard with an inventory book. You feel nervous about being asked questions, but are relieved when all he asks you is how many bags you have, if you have anything perishable, if you have any plants or animals, and finally for your to place your bags on the scale to be weighed in. All of your bags, save for a medium shoulder bag and small suitcase with clothing, are taken to storage and you are able to board the ship. Crew within the boat direct you to your cabin. 

It was cheaper to share a cabin than to have one of your own. You didn’t have anyone traveling with you though, so who knew who your cabin mate would be for the next 7-10 days. You had prepared for this. You dressed yourself in men’s clothing and kept a loaded pistol in your shoulder bag, just in case. Unlocking the door, you enter the cabin, only to find that your cabin mate had already been here, claimed their bed, and left again. You decide that’s for the better for now and put your few things away. You sit on your cot and lean back against the wall, enjoying your bit of silence. Since you will be on the boat for a while, you decide this is as good a time as any for a nap given your early waking time, and lay down to sleep.

You awaken in the middle of the afternoon to someone humming in the room. You spring upright, momentarily forgetting that you were to be sharing this cabin, and turn your head to meet the eyes of the stranger in the other bed. He smiles and chuckles at your state of disarray. 

“Good Afternoon my new companion! To what do I owe the luxury of you being so familiar that you are able to sleep around me without ever having given first thought to an introduction?” While his words seem pleasant, they are laced with a challenging air. You can feel the sensations of veiled threat mingled with curiosity within his words. He returns his gaze to the newspaper in his hands. “My, you must have had quite the exertion this morning if you felt so compelled to just sleep about haphazardly.”

You are not sure if he’s being sarcastic or showing genuine concern, but your skin feels a chill based on your nerves. The man before you wears a red coat, with a frilled black shirt and white ascot. His white pants are tucked into knee high black boots. His hat is sitting on his bed beside him. You sigh and answer him. “If I am so familiar, should that not be a compliment to your ability to ease the souls of others? The questioning of my exhaustion and the cause thereof seem just as peculiar to the start of a companionship as does the act of my sleeping in response to said exhaustion. So, my new companion, if we are to be in such close proximity for greater than a week, perhaps we should start this conversation anew? I am Maxwell Silverghast, and yourself? Whom is it that I have the pleasure of deigning as my companion for this journey?” You hope that he doesn’t see through your fake name.

The man smirks slightly behind his paper. “Mr. Silverghast is it? I am Mitsunari Baba, pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Six days. You have been on this ship now for six days. You fiddle with the cuff of your overcoat in the morning air as you lean on the deck rails staring out at the water. That’s all there is - water. The unease of being alone with your own thoughts is getting to you. You have tried to do some of the activities offered on the ship, but the only person you remotely know is Mr. Baba, whom you have not run into again since the first time you saw him. At least the lack of synchronization in your schedules has allowed for the further concealment of your true feminine identity. 

In your trance-like staring, you see movement on the edge of the lower deck. At first you believe it is just one of the side paddle wheels having caught a random larger fish that will soon fall back into the waves, but that is not so. There is a figure holding on to the paddle wheel, dressed in black diving gear - though less substantial than what you are used to seeing. Whomever it is, their vessel must be close by. As they climb onto the deck, you notice they have a large pack with them. They continue onto the deck, your view now obscured by the deck you are standing on. Overwhelmed by curiosity and propelled by boredom, you sneak down to the level of the lower deck and hide behind a vent. You watch carefully as the person walks forward. A door to your left opens and out comes Mr. Baba. He walks towards the woman with a half smile on his face. They must be acquainted somehow. 

“Ms. Rogers, you’re a bit later than anticipated. I do hope the package did not prove so difficult to obtain. I wouldn’t want your lovely self to get hurt.” Mr. Baba says pleasantly to the person in the diving suit.

Ms. Rogers takes off her helmet, a different apparatus remaining over her right eye as she smirks at Mr. Baba. “No, it’s all here. Your mark just happened to be a bit more chatty than I tend to enjoy.”

A momentary flash of shock crosses Mr. Baba’s face followed by a look of curiosity. “That is quite unfortunate. I do assume he is at least still with his life?”

“If you were to assume a thing like that, I would guess you were only attempting to preserve your air of innocence. Regardless, it is none of my business how you care to view the deceased.”

“Now Ms. Rogers, killing was never part of our original agreement if I do recall?”

“Of course it wasn’t, but nor was it in our agreement that I couldn’t kill him either.” She slides the pack over to him. “Now, you’re usually good on your word. My payment is waiting in the usual place I presume?”

Mr. Baba opens the pack to assess the contents. Nodding in approval, he looks at Ms. Rogers and smiles. “Of course it is, Beautiful, you know I could never lie to a pretty lady such as yourself.” He winks at the end of his comment. 

Ms. Rogers sighs in a fake show of exasperation as she shakes her head at him. “Keep the beautiful comments for those women you’re so fond of on shore. I like to keep things with us strictly professional.” She begins to walk away but stops and turns back around. “Oh, and by the way, you may want to deal with the person hiding behind the vent pipe.” She resumes her departure. “See ya around.” She is soon departing the boat the same way she boarded it. 

By the time you are done watching her descend the paddle wheel, you feel eyes upon you. You turn slowly to see Mr. Baba standing above you. He has a pressed smile.

“So, Mr. Silverghast is it, yes? Do you mind explaining to me what it is you are doing in such a suggestive position behind a vent pipe?” There is a chill in his voice and you try to swallow.

“I saw something coming over the edge of the ship. Really, it’s been six days of boredom and I was mostly hoping for something beyond the gossip of old ladies.” You feel that honesty is your best route in this position. Your stance makes sense, to you at least.

“A fair story. How much did you hear?”

“Well, to be perfectly honest, everything. I was behind this vent before you came out of that door over there.” You begin to panic. You had just heard talk of theft and murder. You had heard parts of Blackfell were relatively lawless, but was Mr. Baba some kind of wanted criminal? 

Mr. Baba appears lost in thought. “Meet me back in our cabin in two hours. Trust me, I will know if you tell anyone about this so it’s best that you keep it to yourself.” With that, he turns and walks away.

Two hours have passed and you have been sitting on your bed since the incident. You are still shaking, though you are trying your best to hide it. It occurs to you that it’s not Mr. Baba or his actions or the actions of his associate that scare you, but the potential of being put off course from your intentions. Blackfell, you know that’s where they took her… You know that’s where you’ll be able to see her face again… You are becoming lost in your memories when Mr. Baba sneaks into your shared cabin and sits down on his own bed. The two of you stare at one another for what is less than a minute in actuality but feels like so much more. 

Mr. Baba is the first to speak. “Look mister, I have no intentions of hurting you. Yet, the reality is that you were most certainly somewhere where you shouldn’t have been and for that I do have to do something. So I’m going to ask you a few questions, and you’re going to answer me honestly, and from there I will determine how I’m going to deal with you. Are we clear?”

All you seem to be able to do is nod in response, which appears to be satisfactory for Mr. Baba.

“First question, what is your business in Ravenport when we dock two days from now?” 

You think for a moment, you hadn’t really gotten too far in your plans. “Find somewhere to stay until I know where I’m going.” It may be vague, but it’s an honest answer.

“Going? Why are you going to Blackfell to start with if you don’t know where you’re going?”

Another very valid question, but you feel your resolve shake a bit. “To find someone who was taken from me - my little sister. They killed our parents and took her.” You can feel your voice crackle slightly. This is something you haven’t mentioned in over a year. You worked in silence back home to save the money for your journey and travel expenses, enough to last you what you felt would at least be a year.

Mr. Baba sits for a moment, watching you regather your composure. “Who are this ‘they’ you speak of?”

“All I know about them is that they were from some organization - something about ghosts.” You let out a bit of a self depreciating chuckle. “Why would they want my sister if they were looking for ghosts? That makes no sense.”

Mr. Baba’s expression grows troubled. “Was your sister in any way gifted? Intelligence? Physical ability?”

“Both. She used to joke about wanting to join the circus to be an acrobat. Our parents thought this was dumb. Her marks in school were the highest in her class and she was even ahead two years.” You answer him, but don’t see how this is relevant. 

He sighs. “So your entire purpose right now is devoted to getting your sister back?”

You nod. “Yes Mr. Baba, that’s all I’m after.”

“Do you have living arrangements lined up once you get to Ravenport?”

“No, I figured I’d try to find something once I got there.”

Mr. Baba chuckles a bit. “I’m going to make you an offer. Take it or refuse it, it’s your choice. The offer is that you live with me while you’re in Ravenport. I won’t charge you rent. I’ll even pay you for keeping the place neat if you need income. This way I can also keep tabs on you til my deal is done. Consider it my way of keeping you from talking. Also, you will tell me your real name. I know you’re a woman and I’ve been polite enough to avoid the cabin while you’ve been in so as not to make you uncomfortable.”

Your eyes widen as you stare at him. His offer is a bit too nice to pass up. Sure it most likely will restrict your information gathering for a short while, but it’s better than sleeping on the streets. “My name is ________. Yes, I will take your offer. You seem oddly kind about this. Why?”

You spend until your arrival getting to know about how Mr. Baba, or just Baba as he prefers, grew up an orphan and learned to be one of the best thieves. He seems to have a moral code, even if you’re not entirely sure what all it entails. 

When it comes time to leave the boat, you are at his side, though no longer in men’s clothing. He’s picked a lightly floral blouse and skirt combo, though he said your leather vest looked nice enough over the blouse that he let you continue to wear that. You had been enjoying your time without a full woman’s corset - the men’s equivalent was much gentler to wear. He leads you to a strange contraption. Around it are the traditional horse drawn carts, but this appears to be a misshapen cart without horses. 

Baba notices your strange expression. “Have you never seen an automobile before?” He smiles and leads you to it, the black pack from Ms. Rogers at his side as he helps you in. 

“No, this is the first time.” Your eyes light up as you watch the city around you - filled with old and new. Baba drives you to his house, which is a relatively modest affair. It is a smaller robin’s egg blue eastlake style house with a navy blue third floor, and with the skeletons of what are probably a lovely garden come summer. Even though it is smaller than the homes around it, it is still larger than the cottage you used to call home. 

As Baba shows you around his home and what areas are off limits, it begins to dawn on you that this is your first time living with a man who isn’t family. You are given a grocery budget, a clothing budget, as well as one for supplies and general spending. All of these are well over what you used to make. Baba leaves to go into town while you get settled in. The house is quiet and there are dust covers on much of the furniture. Days of doing nothing on the ship have you ready to get to cleaning just as Baba returns with lunch and some supplies to begin. You soon learn that Baba doesn’t frequently live here and the gardener only visits during the summer. He says he will return periodically to check on you, but that he mainly stays at a friend’s hotel in the city proper. You are slightly disappointed by this, but still excited to know that you have some freedom and a house mostly to yourself. You see him off, eager to start the next chapter of your life as you light the gas lamps for your first time, another new thing to you.


End file.
